Multicolor-printing press.



G. K. HENDERSON.

MULTI COLOR PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. I9I6.

Patented. .Ian.22,19`18.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G. K. HENDERSON.

MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. a. |916.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

ITV

IN1/ENIGH WIT/VESSES:

G. K. HENDERSON.

MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION man AP2.3.1916.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Wl TNESSES:

A TTORNE VS G. II. HENDERSON.

IVIULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APII.3. I9I6.

Patented Jan. 22, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4- G. K; HENDERSON.

MuLTlcoLoR PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED APH. 3. 1916.

Patented Jan, 22, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

/I ITORNE V5 passes each unit, a certain d im GEORGE K. HENDERSON, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 INTERNATIONAL JPRINTING COMPANY, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION.

iuUL'rrcoLon-rarnrme raises.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dan. 22, idle.

Application led Apri13, 1916. Serial No. 88,547.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE K. HENDERSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Multicolor-Printing Press; and ll do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

The objectv of this invention is the printing of two or more colors by one machine and in one operation, the blank stock being fed in at one end of the machine and issuing from the other end of the machine as a completed product with a plurality of colors thereon.0

rlhe chief feature of the invention consists in forming the press or machine of a plurality of units, there being one unit'for each color that is to be applied to the stock.;

Each unit is self contained and includes its own impression cylinder, a plate carrying cylinder, an inking train and an ink fountain, all independently adjustable as to pressure and position and ink How. 'llhese units are arranged in the press or machine in succession so that the sheet of paper stock passes through the series of units, and as it color is applied by such unit. Said sheet of paper passes between the impression cylinders and the plate carrying cylinders of the units and is fed by them so that the parts of adjacent units cooperate in the work. While one unit is applying a certain color, the other units are cooperating therewith by feeding the sheet of paper and in succession applying other colors. p

rllhe series of units are mounted on one base in a definite relation with each other and they are driven by a single means and, therefore, the operation of all units is controlled from a single source and simultal ncously actuated. 'lhere is no backlash or loose gear motion, and perfect registration of the units is thereby guaranteed.

rl`he advantages of such a machine are very great, particularly on account of speed and `saving of cost. 'lhus a single machine,

4eithersheet or roll feed, will turn out from three thousand to six thousand or more sheets per hour and applies thereto any dein means,

shown in their position the plate carrying cylinders so that they will 'not print. This is of service while inking or working on one of the units and it does not interfere with the operation of the machine otherwise as the cylinders can continue to rotate, but will not contact with the sheet of paper to be printed or colored. Also the arrangement is such that any' one of the plate carrying cylinders instead of all may be elevated out of printing contact with the sheet of paper.

Another feature of the invention consists in a multiple color printing machine, for'so operating the device as to color both sides of the sheet of paper. The sheet may be colored 011 the back side from one of the cylinders or units and the other cylinders or units apply multiple colors to the other side.

'.lhe full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

ln the drawings, lligure l is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through a portion of the machine, parts being omitted and parts being indicated by dotted lines. tion through a portion of the machine on the line 2)*3- of Fig. 2, most of the portion of the machine, however, shown in section being in side elevation, and the parts being when the plate carrying rollers are elevated away from the sheet of paper and impressing rollers. Fig. fl is a vertical section through a portion of the machine on the lined-d of Fig. 2, the parts of the machine being shown in their position while color printing.- Fig. 5 is a ligure like that shown in Fig. 3, but a modilfig. 3 is a sec- ,y

ltlii lmoves continuously through the machine and receives the colors. The machine and invention are not limited to any particular number of units and in fact all of the units need not be simultaneously used; but the idea of the invention is the use of a plurality ofl units for printing a plurality of 'colors on a sheet of paper. Thesheet of paper is unwound from a roller 11 mounted in a roller carrying mechanism 12 and located at one end of the machine, and the printed sheet of paper is received fromthe other end of the machine by the usual cutL ting and distributing mechanism 13, only a portion of'whi'ch is shown, as it may be of any desired arrangement so far as this invention is concerned.

The frame 15 may be made in any desired way, either as a solid frame, but vpreferably in sections, as shown, said 'sections being secured together at ktheir unions and being secured to a continuous base 16 so as to make the frame unitary and rigid.

Each color unit, A, B'C 6r D, includes an' impressioncylinder 2O carried by a shaft 21 mounted in a rigid bearing 22 in the main frame 15, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The bearing 22 rests on a plate 23 on the frame so that said roller cannot be forced downward. Above said impressioncylinder there is a .plate carrying cylinder 24 on a shaft 25 mounted in a bearing 26 vertically movable in the main frame 15. A side elevation of this bearing construction is shown in Figs.

3 and 5, suitable Vertical guides. 126 being secured to the frame for guiding the vertical movement of the bearings. There is opportunity'in said frame for a slight vertical movement of the bearings of said cylinder shafts, for the purpose hereafter explained, but the movement permitted is not suficient l to disengage the gear 30 on the shaft 21 from the gear 31 on the shaft 25, whereby the plate carrying cylinder 24 is driven.

The gear 30 is driven by a beveled gear 32 on the shaftv 21 which engages a beveled pinion 33 on a driving shaft 34 that extends for most of the length of the machine and is mounted to the main frame by bearings 35. Said shaft 34 is driven by gears 37 and 38 transmitting power from a transverse shaft 39 which carries adriven pulley 40 located on the other side of the machine.

This driving' mechanism starts and operates all of the units, A, B, C and D,- simultaneously and there is no back lash or lost gear motion and perfect registration of the un'i-ts is guaranteed.

Each unit in addition to the impreion cylinder and the plate carrying cylinder has means for supplying ink in proper condition to the plate carrying cylinder. The details of this mechanism are not material to the particular invention sought to be covered herein, and, therefore, the same need not be fully described. There is, however, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, an ink fountain 41 mounted above the plate carrying cylinder, dampening rolls 44 and an inking-train including a series of inking rolls 42, and vibratory inking rolls 43. These rolls are all mounted in U-shaped bearings 45 extending upwardly so that the roller spindles seat themselves in the bearings by gravity and are thus vertically movable and do not interfere with the vertical movement of the plate carrying cylinder and all parts are independently adjustable as to pressure, position and ink How. These bearings are all connected with frame [extensions 46 on each side of they machine ivardly extending e'ar 53 from the vertically movable bearing 26 'of the shaft 25 of the plate carrying cylinder 24. The free end of the lever 50 is yoke-shaped and lits astride a cam 55 on a short cam shaft 56 mounted in the main frame and turned by a hand lever 57. When the lever 59 is in its vertical position, yas shown in Fig. 5, the plate carrying cylinder 24 will be in its down-most position and in operative printing engagement with the sheet of paper or in pressure engagement with the impression cylinders below, as indicated in Fig. 4. lVhen, however, the lever 57 is moved to the horizontal position, shown in Fig. 3, the plate carrying. cylinder will be elevated, as shown in F ig. 3, out of contact with the sheet of paper. This is a feature of considerable value in the multiple color printing machine as the printing units operation can be stopped for reinking or any other purpose without stopping the operation of the machine as a whole. Furthermore, it may be desired that only three colors shall be run for a certain job, and one of the units must be put out of operation. This is done by moving the lever 57 to the position shown in Fig. 3 and latching it down.

Since there is a plurality of units, it is desirable ordinarily that all of the plate carrying cylinders shall be simultaneously elevated outV of operation or lowered into printing position. This is accomplished by a number of crank arms G0 extending rigidly from the cam shafts 56 and being pivotally connected with each other by a connecting rod 61. Tt is evident, therefore5 that when one plate carrying cylinder is elevated, all

ifea

lli U cylinder 20 by of lthem will be simultaneouslyv elevated. lhe connection, however, between the elevating means for the different units should be only three colors and, therefore, stop the operation of an entire unit while such job is passingthrough the machine. In that event, one unit will be elevated and out of printing condition, but the plate carrying cylinders of all the other units will be simultaneously elevated and lowered by the operation of any 'hand lever 57.

A modified form is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, for it is often desired to color both sides of a sheet of paper where there are a plurality of units. Fig. 5 illustrates the 1nachine with the left-hand end modified, the right-hand units being broken away, and arranged so that the left-hand unit will color the under or back side of the sheet of paper, while the other units will apply their colors to the upper or main side of the paper.

To accomplish the foregoing, the sheet of paper 10 rims from the roller 1l over rollers on a frame 71 secured on rthe upper end of the frames 46 of two of the units and passes down vertically between the first two units past an eccentric roller 65 adapted to be adj ustedvto cause the paper to travel over a greater distance between said units and under a roller 72 and over an oscillatory compression cylinder 73 under and in pres sure engagement with the impression cylinder 20 of the first unit, as shown in Fig. 5. lnk is applied to the reverse side of a sheet of paper by the impression cylinder 20 and then the sheet of paper passes from cylinder 73 to the remaining units in the machine, whereby the remaining colors are applied to the upper surface of the sheet of paper.

z rlhe cylinder 73 is held upwardly into operative position with the main impression supports 74, the upper ends of which carry the spindles of the cylinder and are held in place and guided between two oppositely located guides 75. 'llhe lower end of the support 74 is pivoted at 76 to a rocking frame 77 which turns on a center at 78 when a lever 79 is moved. Thus when the lever 79 is in its lower position, as shown in Fig. 5, the toggle joint support for the cylinder 73 will force it upward into printing position. When the lever 79 is elevated to the position shown in Fig. 6, it will lower the cylinder 73 away from the impression cylinder 2O and be out of printing position.

`When the machine is equipped with thc n'iodified structure, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,. and it is desired to apply all of the colors to only one side of the sheet, as in llig. 3, the lever 79 and the means for positioning the cylinder 73 are maintained in their inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 6. When it is desired to color both sides of the sheet of paper, the sheet is carried around the cylinder 'T3 and then it is forced upward into printing position.

The machine herein described, while relatively siinple in plan and construction` has remarkable utility and capacity. It will apply one or more colors, as desired, to one side, and one color to either or both sides of the sheet of paper, as fast as the sheet of paper can be fed. And it may be stated that the invention is not limited to a rol-l feed,4 as separate sheets of paper may be fed through it also and then its speed will be as great as the ability of the feeding mechanism to position the sheets. Four thousand finished sheets per hour, in one, two, three and four colors is the normal ruiming speed, and the. speed may vary from threeto six thousand sheets er hour according to the class of work being run.

The chief value of the machine, however, arises from the multiple color work. It can complete work in two colors at twice the output of the fiat bed presses, as no intermediate cylinder is required and the registration of the second color can be absolutely guaranteed. It can complete work in three colors at one operation at twice the productive rate of the two-color flat bed and single color fiat bed presses combined. It can do work requiring four colors at one operation at twice the productive rate of two two-color flat bed presses combined.

This machine also is so arranged and operated, that it can use thin plates of zinc which is much more difficult than the regular curved electros and, therefore, is capable of lithographic as well as typographie uses. lt can be used for printing from planographic transfer-sy or curved etchings or electrotypes by modifying the plate carrying cylinders to suitthe plates to be used, as is well known to those familiar with the art.

The invention claimed is:

1. A multiple ,color printing machine including a main frame,a plurality of color v printing units mounted therein in successive order, each unit including an impression cylinder and a plate carrying cylinder, the cylinders in the successive units arranged to simultaneously act on a sheet of paper passing through the machine, means for operating all of said cylinders simultaneously, each plate carrying cylinder mounted in vertically movable bearings and in position when actuated to elevate each of said bearings, a

cani construction for actuating the bearingM for each unit, a crank arm connected. with each cani, a connecting rod, and pins for reirmably' pivoting.:l said rod. to each crank arin whereby power iv ill be traiisinitted alike i frame, means for simultaneously operating all of said units, each unit having an impression cylinder and a plate carrying cylinder, an auxiliary impression cylinder located in connection with the main impression cylinder for taking an impression from the main impression cylinde and reversing the paper for printing the opposite side thereof, and means for moving said auxiliary cylinder into and out of engagement with said iinpression cylinders.

3. A multiple color printing machine including a frame, a series of color printing units arranged in successive order in. said frame, means for simultaneously operating all of said units, each unit having an impression cylinder and a plate carrying cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder located beneath the impression cylinder of one unit, means for guiding a sheet of paper backwardly between said auxiliary cylinder and the adjacent impression cylinder for printing the reverse side of the sheet of paper, and means for moving said auxiliary cylinder into and ont of engagement with said impression cylinder.

4. A multiple color printing machine including a frame, a series of color printing units arranged in successive order in said frame, means for simultaneously operating all of said units, each unit having an impression cylinder and a plate carrying` cylinder, an auxiliary cylinder located beneath the impression cylinder of one unit, means for guiding a sheet of paper backwardly between said auxiliary cylinder and the adj acent impression cylinder for printing the reverse side of the sheet of paper, a pair of bars for supporting said auxiliary cylinder, a rocking bearing in which said bars are pivoted at their lower ends, and means for rocking said bearing so as to elevate or lower said auxiliary cylinder` into and out of operative position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aiixed my signature.

GEORGE K. HENDERSON. 

